The invention is in the field of medical devices for applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s lower limbs, and in particular to his feet.
Many subjects suffering from a number of medical conditions including inter alia peripheral arterial and venous disease, hypertension, diabetes and deep vein thrombosis are treated by way of medical devices with one or more inflatable bladders for applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s lower limbs, and in particular to his feet, for urging venous blood flow from his feet and legs to his heart.
Venous blood flow can be urged by stimulation of one or both of two physiological mechanisms, namely, his calf""s venous muscular pump and emptying of his foot""s venous plexus. Medical devices for stimulating one or both of these mechanisms are illustrated and described inter alia in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,531,074, 3,454,010, 3,683,897, 3,789,836, 4,003,374, 4,696,289, 4,945,905, 4,989,589, 5,117,812, 5,354,260, 5,396,896, 5,443,440, WO 88/09653, DE 30 09 408, and SU 0 1452-523.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s foot, the device comprising a platform with at least three independently actuable inflatable bladders staggered therealong to solely underlie the subject""s heel, his plantar arch and his foot""s front portion including his metatarsals and his toes, respectively, whereby a travelling compressive wave can be cyclically applied to his foot""s underside only.
The medical device preferably has four inflatable bladders staggered along its platform in a non-overlapping fashion to solely underlie a foot""s heel, its plantar arch, its metatarsus, and its toes, respectively. In addition, the inflatable bladders are so dimensioned and the spacing apart therebetween is such that they are substantially co-extensive with a foot""s underside. Also, the platform is preferably formed with an arched plantar arch support for permanently supporting a foot""s plantar arch and an arched toe support for permanently supporting a foot""s toes at their bases. Two basic embodiments of the medical device are envisaged: boot-like footwear designed to look like and be worn as conventional slippers worn in the home thereby precluding a person from having to change footwear for treatment purposes and, a normally flat, one-piece foldable wrap for more extended treatment periods, for example, when a subject is sleeping.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s foot, the device comprising boot-like footwear for accommodating a subject""s entire foot, and at least one inflatable bladder permanently disposed in said footwear and being in fluid communication with a pressure source for selectively applying pressure to the foot""s underside,
characterized in that said footwear has an externally accessible connector member permanently and directly attached to an exterior surface thereof, said connector member being in permanent fluid communication with said at least one inflatable bladder and in selectively disconnectable fluid communication with said pressure source.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for effecting dorsiflexion of a subject""s foot, the device comprising a platform for supporting the subject""s foot, and having an inflatable bladder for cyclically elevating the foot""s front portion solely relative to said platform from a normal position thereatop whereby the foot""s front portion is flexed relative to the foot""s remaining portion overlying said platform, said inflatable bladder having a first compartment overlying said platform and a second compartment hingedly connected to said first compartment along a trailing edge of said inflatable bladder directed towards the subject""s heel and limiting means for limiting the maximum height of an edge of said second compartment remote from said trailing edge on inflation of said inflatable bladder whereby said inflatable bladder assumes an inflated triangular shaped configuration tapering towards the subject""s heel.
The particular design of the inflatable bladder is such that it enables a relatively high maximum height for a relatively small volume as say compared with a generally isosceles shaped inflatable of comparable dimensions, thereby enabling a high cycle rate even with a relatively small compressor.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for effecting dorsiflexion of a subject""s foot, the device comprising a platform for supporting the subject""s foot, and having a wedge shaped support tapering towards the subject""s heel for permanently supporting the foot""s front portion in a flexed position relative to the foot""s remaining portion overlying said platform; and an inflatable bladder mounted on said support for cyclically elevating the foot""s front portion relative thereto from a normal position thereatop.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s foot, the device comprising a platform for supporting the subject""s foot, and having an arched planter arch support for permanently supporting the foot""s plantar arch; and an inflatable bladder for cyclically elevating the foot""s front portion relative to said platform from a normal position thereatop whereby the subject""s foot effects a rocking motion about said plantar arch support acting as a fulcrum-like member.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit for installation on a wheelchair having a pair of foot supports for supporting a wheelchair bound subject""s feet, the kit comprising: a rechargeable battery operated compressor; a pair of medical devices capable of being in fluid communication with said compressor and mountable on a foot support, each medical device capable of applying a cyclic therapeutic action to a subject""s foot; and a controller for controlling the operation of the medical devices.
By virtue of the kit of the present invention, a wheelchair bound subject can still undergo his everyday normal activities whilst receiving therapeutic treatment for poor venous blood flow by way of dorsiflexion of his feet and/or application of a traveling compressive wave to his feets"" underside.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for effecting plant flexion of a subject""s foot, the device comprising a mounting member for mounting the medical device on the subject""s leg, an elongated support member attached to said mounting member and downward depending for overlying at least a proximal portion of the foot""s anterior surface, an inflatable bladder extending along the underside of said support member, and a resiliently flexible foot restraining member attached midway along said support member for encircling the foot""s plantar arch.